T-Mobile to bleach Samsung Galaxy S II in white, arriving ‘in time for the holidays’
What’s that gorgeous device doing in a pearly white on this side of the pond? T-Mobile will be offering a second color option for its flagship TouchWiz device, the Samsung Galaxy S II, “in the coming weeks.” Though its exact launch date is uncertain, the two companies assured us that it would land in time for the holidays. We’re just hoping they’re not referring to Valentine’s Day.
via T-Mobile to bleach Samsung Galaxy S II in white, arriving ‘in time for the holidays’ — Engadget.
Archos Debuts The Arnova 9 G2
Remember back in July when Archos debuted the G9 series? Yeah I barely did too. I had to refresh on them myself. Head slumped with shame Check this out, maybe it will help you too. Well this isn’t a G9 it’s a G2, and even thought there is no pricing with this announcement. We can assume this will priced around the level as all other mid-range tablets. The Arnova 9 G2 is 12.5mm thick and is sporting a 5 point multi-touchscreen at 9.7 inches, 1GHz processor, and is running Android 2.3.Gingerbread. Not a high-end device, but not everyone needs a high-end device. Check out the source for all the details. Keep an eye on us as well. As soon as we hear about prices we will be sure to let you know about it.
Archos 101 G9 review
Archos were making “tablets” before the majority of manufacturers had even considered it. It had large screen devices before the birth of the iPad and before Android even existed. Of course they were called portable media players in those days, and it was a slightly messy business involving software packs and docks.
But can experience in portable media devices give Archos the edge they need in this competitive market? Can their blend of affordability and media handling result in a package with universal appeal?
Design
Beginning with design, as we so often do, doesn’t get the G9 Archos tablet off to the strongest start. The choice of plastics reminds you that this has been designed to a price point and although there are some interesting twists, it doesn’t really manage to stand apart from other budget tablets. Read more 
Samsung Galaxy S II Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade confirmed
Hardly the most unpredictable news in the world, but Samsung has now officially confirmed that the Galaxy S II will be receiving an upgrade to the next big version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. That word comes from the company’s UK Twitter feed, though specific dates aren’t yet being provided. Samsung’s UK strategy has generally been consistent with the rest of Europe, meaning that an update to British Galaxy S II phones will likely be happening simultaneously with those in neighboring countries. US owners of the various carrier-branded GSII models should be a little more wary, however, as the history of Samsung Android upgrades in that market has been one of patchy, inconsistent updates that typically come quite a bit later than the global version. For now, let’s just add another highly prized handset to the growing list of confirmed ICS upgrades.
If you were hoping for similarly good news with respect to Samsung’s earlier top model, the Galaxy S, the company’s saying it has nothing to announce yet. An update to Ice Cream Sandwich isn’t being ruled out, but clearly Samsung doesn’t want to make any promises it won’t be able to keep.
via Samsung Galaxy S II Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade confirmed | The Verge.
HTC Zeta rendered, rumored to pack 2.5GHz quad-core CPU and Ice Cream Sandwich
Ready for today’s grain of salt? We just got handed imagery and specs of a possible HTC device in the works codenamed the Zeta. It’s a quad-core handset, much like the Edge that was leaked last week, but it has a much faster 2.5GHz APQ8064 CPU along with 1GB of RAM running the show, on a 4.5-inch 720p HD display. According to our source, the uniquely shaped smartphone will come with Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed with Sense UI (version 4.0 wasn’t specified, but we’d be surprised to see it any lower on an ICS device) and have 32GB of internal storage space, an 1,830mAh battery, Beats Audio, Bluetooth 4.0, an 8MP rear camera with dual LED flash, 1080p video capture and a 1.3MP front-facing cam. Dimensions? We have those, too: the Zeta is said to measure at 109.8 x 60.9 x 9.8mm (4.32 x 2.4 x 0.39 inches) and weigh 5.15 ounces (146g). Pricing and availability aren’t known, and we’re still digging for more info. It certainly has an intriguing look; the sharp corners would be a huge departure from HTC’s recent design choices, though it appears to have HTC’s signature unibody build in the back. So are we just looking at a cool concept or is this the next flagship phone? We’re hoping it’s the latter.
via HTC Zeta rendered, rumored to pack 2.5GHz quad-core CPU and Ice Cream Sandwich — Engadget.
YouTube For Android v2.3.4 Update Now Available
YouTube for Android has rolled out its latest version 2.3.4, which includes a few neat improvements like a +1 button and the ability to add annotations along with a new and very handy “Watch later” queue for videos you’d like to save for another time. Lastly, this update will now allow you to edit video info while uploading within the app, this fills in the gap of a long overlooked feature and will surely bode well with users.
Jump past the break for a link to this app in the Android Market or grab the QR code from our Apps Database.
Ice Cream Sandwich source code released, custom ROMs inevitable
The Google ice cream truck hit neighborhoods early, handing out tasty ice cream sandwiches to everyone! That’s right, the Ice Cream Sandwich source code was made available and modders couldn’t get the wrapper off quick enough. AOSP Software Engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru broke the news yesterday and stated that it was “actually the source code for version 4.0.1 of Android, which is the specific version that will ship on the Galaxy Nexus.” He also made it a point to let everyone know that while this release includes the full history of the Android source code tree (Honeycomb included), everyone should try and focus on Ice Cream Sandwich (since Honeycomb was a little incomplete).
Well, I’m sure all the modders, developers and hackers are hard at work and we should start seeing those custom ROMs in no time. I can already smell CM9 (smells like bacon flavored ice cream) coming and hopefully this is also a sign that the Galaxy Nexus is right around the corner. Also be wary of anyone pushing out the “first” Android 4.0 custom ROMs, as they may end up being for notoriety purposes only and not too stable. Anyone interested can go ahead and grab the source along with all the instructions at the link below. Happy modding!
via Ice Cream Sandwich source code released, custom ROMs inevitableAndroidGuys.
LG Nitro HD: Optimus LTE for AT&T Revealed
With yesterday’s launch of the LG Optimus LTE on Bell Canada, there was some speculation that the Korean manufacturer could also bring the 720p HD handset to AT&T; after all, the two carriers share the same bandwidth. Well it turns out that the phone long known as P930 is indeed coming stateside as the LG Nitro HD, bringing a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, eight-megapixel camera, and support for AT&T’s nascent 4G LTE network (as well as its 4G HSDPA network at 21Mbps).
The 4.5-inch Nitro also packs 1GB of RAM, 4GB of ROM (plus microSD expansion), Bluetooth 3.0, and an 1830mAh battery. It will be interesting to see whether this device will be able to beat the Galaxy Nexus to market as one of the first US HD smartphones — although, as The Verge points out, the 1280 x 720 screen here offers a better subpixel configuration than the Pentile Matrix employed by Samsung’s first Ice Cream Sandwich. (Speaking of Ice Cream Sandwiches, this actually appears to be the mystery phone that we spotted yesterday wrapped in a Mophie case; at least out of the box, however, it looks like Nitro and the Optimus LTE on Bell will be Gingerbread-powered.)
HTC Sensation XE Spotted In White
HTC kicked-off its partnership with Beats by announcing the Sensation XE in September. Its specs may not be quite up to the level set by the HTC Rezound, but a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and the ability to shoot 1080p video are nothing to shake a stick at. When we first got a chance to see the phone, it was only available in a charcoal black. It looks like there will soon be a new color option for Sensation XE buyers to consider, with signs of a white model on the way. The silvery-white XE is listed on the Japanese version of retailer Expansyss site, where the phone is noted as ready to ship-out, arriving in 5-15 days. We dont have any specific information on plans for this XE to be brought to other nations, but it will likely become available wherever the black XE is sold. Expansys is selling the model for what works out to about $570. The Sensation XE has a 4.3-inch qHD screen, includes 768MB of RAM, and runs Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread with Sense 3.0 on top.
HTC Ville detailed: HTC Sense 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, thinner than iPhone
We just got the scoop on another brand new HTC handset, which will be part of the company’s Mobile World Congress announcements alongside the HTC Edge we detailed yesterday. The HTC Ville (codename) is set to launch in April with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and, for the first time, HTC Sense 4.0. The smartphone will feature a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon Series 4 processor. In addition to those specifications, the HTC Ville will house an 8-megapixel backside-illuminated camera, just like the one on the HTC Edge, with 1080p HD video capture support. We’re told the handset won’t feature NFC due to the metal construction of the case, and it will be less than 8mm thick, we understand. Lastly, it will be a HSPA+ device powered by a 1,650 mAh battery, and of course Beats audio processing will be included as well.
via HTC Ville detailed: HTC Sense 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, thinner than iPhone.
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